280 t He F i v e Dy na s t i e s anD t He s ong Dy na s t y
two or three” (lines 19–20), the poet is not repeating his earlier lament that most
of his friends have faded away; the two lines allude, rather, to a passage in the Ana-
lects where Confucius sighs, “No one knows me” (14:37), yet the poet changes it
into a delightful exclamation of sudden enlightenment. The reason that only two
or three understand him is that few people are on a par with him: he stands alone
in this world, peerless.
The force of the poet’s sudden outburst of self-pride is enforced by the rhyth-
mic tone of his utterance. To write in the ci form is to “fill in words” in the existing
tune patterns. In this sense, a ci poet does not enjoy too much freedom. But Xin
Qiji knows how to make the best of the existing tune patterns. He ignores, for
example, the pause within line 18 dictated by the meter in order to allow his wild
exclamation, which starts in line 17, to rush on almost without stop in a sequence
of fifteen syllables. When this forward movement is abruptly halted and the whole
piece brought to an end by the two brisk three-syllable lines, we cannot but feel
the tension resulting from the sudden halt of this onward force and from the con-
fidence and certainty carried by these terse closing lines.
If the song lyric examined in the preceding poem exemplifies Xin Qiji’s heroic
style, the following one demonstrates that he was also capable of a very different
kind of poetic voice, one marked by delicacy and restraint:C 1 3. 6
To the Tune “Groping for Fish”In the sixth year of chunxi [1179], I was transferred from the post of assistant
fiscal intendant of Hubei to that of Hunan. This song was written at the fare-
well party given by my colleague Wang Zhengzhi at the Small Hill Pavilion.
How many more winds and rains can it withstand?
2 In such a hurry, again spring is leaving.
So dear I hold vernal times that I have always been afraid that flowers
would bloom too soon,
4 And how can I bear to see countless fallen petals?
Spring, just stay for a while longer.
6 It is said that fragrant grasses have spread over the end of the earth and
blocked your way home.
Why didn’t you say a word?
8 I only see the spider’s enticing webs,
Under painted eaves,
10 All day long, flirt with flying catkins.What a story about the Tall Gate Palace!
12 Another carefully planned reunion is upset.
Charming beauty did invite jealousy.
14 Even if a beautifully worded letter can be procured with gold,
To whom can I deliver this tender heart?